Bank of Ireland has started rolling out bio-sourced debit and credit cards, in a bid to support the reduction of single use plastic across the bank's products and services.
It said the card is made from 84% bio-sourced renewable materials such as field corn and takes just six months to decompose unlike its plastic equivalent, which it said takes around 400 years.
It plans to replace all plastic debit and credit cards issued by the bank by 2026.
The bank said this will save 17 tonnes of CO2 and 4.48 tonnes of plastic - equivalent to over 160,000 500ml plastic bottles - per year.
The bank introduced bio-sourced debit cards for third-level students in September 2020.
It said the new bio-sourced cards will be provided to all new customers, existing customers as their old cards expire, and as a replacement for damaged, lost or stolen cards.
"If we are to live in a more sustainable way we need to do things differently, including through our everyday banking," said Eamonn Hughes, Chief Sustainability & Investor Relations Officer at Bank of Ireland Group.
"The introduction of bio-sourced cards is a very practical way that Bank of Ireland and our customers can reduce our environmental footprint, and another important step in our Responsible and Sustainable Business strategy," he added.
